Buying Weed in LAS VEGAS With Juliana Whitney, Trisha Jamo and Alexis Isaacs

Ellen Scanlon (00:00):

This podcast discusses cannabis and is intended for audiences 21 and over. Are you trying to drink less alcohol? Now in more than 40 states, you can have Cann, the low dose, delicious and sociable cannabis beverages, shipped right to your door. Use promo code, “do the pot” for 20% off when you visit drinkcann.com. That’s drink C-A-N-N. Try a Cann today, and have a great night without the hangover. Thank you for supporting the brands that support our show.

Alexis Dionne (00:50):

And if there’s any place to buy legal weed for the first time, I think Vegas is probably the best location to do that.

Ellen Scanlon (00:58):

Welcome to How To Do The Pot, a podcast helping you feel confident about cannabis. I’m your host, Ellen Scanlon. You just heard from Alexis Dionne, the New York-based account director at Mattio Communications, a women-owned cannabis PR firm. If you’ve traveled to Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Michigan lately, I hope you checked out our episodes that guide you in exploring local cannabis there. Navigating buying weed in new places can sometimes be intimidating. I am here to help so you know what to expect and so you don’t miss out on the really fun ways you can incorporate weed into visiting new places.

(01:51):

In today’s episode, we’re traveling to a state where cannabis has been legal since 2017, Nevada. Whether you’re planning a visit or you live there, I hope today’s local tips and stories will help you feel more confident about buying and trying weed in Las Vegas. As we celebrate the fourth year of How To Do The Pot, I am so grateful for your support and excited to create new episodes that help you feel confident about cannabis for health, wellbeing, and for fun. We have created our first ever listener survey so that your opinions can directly influence our upcoming shows. As a thank you, everyone who completes the survey will be entered to win a 12 pack of Canns, cannabis-infused sparkling beverages. The link to the listener survey is in the show notes, and thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts with us.

(03:00):

As cannabis becomes legal in more states across the US, one of the things that makes trying it while you’re traveling such a unique experience is that you get to sample products that are only available in that particular state. Because of complex regulations around cannabis distribution, you may not find your usual go-tos, and so you get to, slash have to, try new brands. Think of it as an opportunity to get outside your usual comfort zone, maybe let the marketing move you and discover what speaks to vacation you versus home you. We all know that Vegas is the hub for drinking and debauchery. Where does weed fit in the mix? As I mentioned, cannabis was legalized for adult use in Nevada in 2017, making it one of the more mature legal markets in the US, and it shows. There are 68 dispensaries in the city of Las Vegas, offering experiences that range from luxurious to no nonsense.

(04:16):

48 of those dispensaries deliver, but before you get too excited about getting stoned at Caesar’s or baked at the Bellagio, know that they only deliver to private homes. That might be a reason to consider an Airbnb if you’re set on making weed a prominent part of your trip. Since cannabis is still federally illegal, you can’t consume in most hotels or casinos, with a few notable exceptions. The draw to Vegas transcends just no holds barred excess. There are so many other reasons to go. If you watch the Super Bowl, you may have seen The Sphere, the almost 400-foot tall actual sphere covered in the world’s highest resolution screens that creates an ultra immersive concert experience.

(05:15):

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, Google it. Seriously, this venue is wild. U2 has had a residency there. And soon, Phish, with a PH, my husband’s favorite band, will be there for an extended stay. That’s a story for another episode, so let’s get to Vegas and check out all that’s going on, cannabis and otherwise. Our guide today is Juliana Whitney, the Nevada based founder of Cann Strategy and co-founder of Leafsheets.com. Juliana really knows the Las Vegas cannabis scene. She grew up in Blue Diamond, a small town outside of Las Vegas, and also attended college in the city. Juliana explains that there’s more to Vegas than late nights, extravagant meals and gambling.

Juliana Whitney (06:08):

Most people think it’s just the strip, but there’s really a lot more to it. Beautiful scenery, hiking, but also a ton of opportunity because the city’s a lot smaller than you realize because it has such a global level of attention, but the actual population is only two to 3 million people, so you can do a lot there pretty quickly and get a lot of connections. Yes, there’s the partying, there’s the shows. The delicious food is probably one of my number one favorite things. And also the level of service. I didn’t realize how much being a city based on hospitality influenced my expectations, but whenever I visit anywhere else, there’s a notable difference in the level of service. The city definitely has a lot to offer in that way too.

Ellen Scanlon (07:01):

Speaking of impeccable service, here’s an insider tip. If you’re looking for 24 hour weed service, I have the spot for you. Maybe you need weed at 3:00 AM, sounds like a party, or that you really, really can’t sleep. NuWu Cannabis Marketplace is open 24 hours a day with a drive-through and a consumption lounge. Currently, the only one in Las Vegas, which is allowed because it’s on sovereign land. This is the first 24-hour dispensary that I’ve heard of. Vegas is always doing things bigger and better. Since we’re lucky to have a Vegas insider help us out today, I asked Juliana about her favorite activities outside of cannabis tourism.

Juliana Whitney (07:55):

Some of my favorite places in Vegas that I would tell anyone to visit are the Bellagio fountains. I can watch those fountains for hours. They’re on every 15 minutes, so you can just stand there and watch them over and over. They’re absolutely majestic. You have to make sure to go to a Cirque Du Soleil show. They’re magical and impressive and beautiful and just mind-blowing and artistic and a lot of fun too. And then because Vegas has a ton of good food, I would say go to one of the top restaurants. Really choose anyone, read the reviews, but my absolute favorite is SW Steakhouse at the Wynn.

(08:37):

The weekends are full of things to do in the city. My favorite things are going hiking. We’ve got Red Rock, we’ve got Mount Charleston. You can go out to Boulder City. And then pretty normal things like going to brunch with friends or meeting at a cafe, going to dinner or something like that. And then there’s the Vegas specific things, which aren’t clubbing. I wasn’t a big clubber growing up, but I do love to find some of the tourist attractions that the strip has that are a little goofy, a little offbeat. So most recently, for instance, I went and did this wild virtual reality experience where I fought zombies and goblins and skeletons with my friends, and that was a lot of fun and just kind of strange, but super fun.

Ellen Scanlon (09:28):

While you can’t consume cannabis in most hotels and casinos, here’s a hot tip on the exception to the rule. At the Lexi Las Vegas, you are allowed to consume all the cannabis you want, exclusively on the fourth floor. They’ve gone all in and even have a special ventilation system to keep all 16 rooms feeling and smelling fresh. Okay, now that you’re ready to get out there and start shopping, what are Juliana’s tips for buying weed in Vegas?

Juliana Whitney (10:01):

There’s really no question. The must see place in Las Vegas is Planet 13. It’s huge dispensary. You can see the production facility. Has so much to offer and it’s really just something you’ve never seen before. And it’s something that almost only works in a city like Las Vegas. My favorite dispensaries are the ones that have clearly put effort into looking spectacular and to making some kind of impact on the customers as they walk in. So obviously there’s Planet 13, always have to give them love. And then Cultivate, which is kind of nearby, but smaller and more accessible if you want more of that local experience or more of a quick experience. And then I also love Thrives. Pretty new location. That’s on Sammy Davis, Jr. They have multiple locations, but that one specifically because it’s just beautiful and they have these plants that go up and down in the lobby from the ceiling. I love it. And their service is great.

Ellen Scanlon (11:05):

I’ve heard some incredible stories about Planet 13 and I can’t wait to visit. It is the world’s biggest dispensary. In case you’re wondering, the world’s second-biggest dispensary is also in Vegas. Even though Planet 13 is so large, it is also award-winning. It was named Leafly’s best dispensary, so they really focus on the quality of the products and the customer experience. I asked Juliana what her best tips are for tourists looking for weed in Las Vegas.

Juliana Whitney (11:42):

Before you visit a dispensary in Vegas, I would say make sure to look at their menu online to see what products they have and make sure they have ones that you’re going to want. Even call ahead to make sure that their online menu is accurate, and make sure to try out a few different places. There’s the ones that are super popular, famous, really big, but there’s also some cute smaller local ones that still provide an awesome experience and are really beautiful.

Ellen Scanlon (12:16):

Now that you’ve heard a little about Vegas’s Cannabis Market, let’s hear from women who have been there. For Florida based tax analysts, Trisha Jamo, shopping for weed in Vegas felt familiar, like visiting a Sephora. Pretty different than her experiences in Florida’s medical market.

Trisha Jamo (12:35):

My first time going into a dispensary in Las Vegas was in February of 2018. I live in Florida and have epilepsy, and I was able to receive my medical cannabis card in 2015. So I was familiar with dispensaries, however, walking into a Las Vegas dispensary was something that was completely different than what I was used to. After showing our identification to prove our age to be able to visit the dispensary, I felt as though I was walking into a Sephora or Ulta. It was very inviting and people were chatting and having a good time in there. And we were able to walk around, look at all the products, talk to the employees and talk about what they had for offerings and the different ways we like to enjoy cannabis. It was completely different than visiting a dispensary in Florida where it was very, you place your order, you walk in, you get it, you leave.

(13:40):

In Vegas, it was more of a comfortable environment, didn’t feel as though it was something we had to be ashamed of or hurry through. We were able to really take our time, get to know how we could enjoy cannabis in different ways. People were joking with each other, even different customers were chatting with each other, and you could tell it was more of an acceptable place to be in. And being able to talk about cannabis in that way as opposed to how I was used to where I live now, it was comfortable and made me feel as though it wasn’t something I should be ashamed of, because I’m taking and enjoying cannabis because of my epilepsy. And I just feel as though in Las Vegas it’s more acceptable and the people working at the dispensaries realize that and they really make the environment where you’re feeling as though you can just chat about it and have a really good time.

Ellen Scanlon (14:43):

Alexis Dionne, the New York based account director at Mattio Communications, a women-owned cannabis PR firm, also had a welcoming, fun experience buying legal weed in Vegas.

Alexis Dionne (14:57):

My first time buying legal weed was actually pretty fun. It was my 29th birthday and I was celebrating it in Vegas with maybe 10 of my girlfriends, and I had it on the agenda. We had to go to a dispensary, and of course the girls obliged and we went to one that was slightly off the strip. It was a pretty big one actually. And it was just so interesting how formal they were. You had to present your ID and they had to make sure your face matched with the face on the ID, and they were telling us rules about you can’t take pictures and no flash photography, yada, yada, yada. And then after we got through that initial stage, then it was the fun part. And just kind of walking around and seeing what an actual dispensary looks like was pretty amazing. It was fun. We got to see the different strains and the different edibles that they had, and I believe we saw different pictures and photographs around the dispensary.

(16:14):

I think I was just more enthralled with the fact that I was buying legal weed than anything else to pay attention to anything else really. I think most of my girlfriends bought weed. I definitely bought edibles for sure, and I think I bought a pre-roll, but definitely edibles and they were like five milligrams of THC each. So it was fun trying to finish all of our weed before heading back to New York and some of us to Chicago. And if there’s any place to buy legal weed for the first time, I think Vegas is probably the best location to do that.

Ellen Scanlon (16:55):

Thank you to our guests today for helping us all learn more about Vegas, its cannabis market, and so much more. Where should we go next? Let us know what it’s like buying weed in your state, and I would love to feature your story. Please send us a voice note to hi@dothepot.com or DM at Do the Pot. My goal with sharing these stories is to take the scariness out of doing something that was illegal for a long time and to help you feel supported, less alone, and a little lighthearted when you decide to go shopping for cannabis. I really want you to have fun. Thanks for listening to this episode of How To Do The Pot. For lots more information and past episodes, visit dothepot.com. That’s also where you can sign up for How To Do The Pot’s popular newsletter. If you like How To Do The Pot, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. It really helps people find the show. Thank you to writer Joanna Silver and producers Maddie Fair and Nick Patri. I’m Ellen Scanlon, and stay tuned for more of How To Do The Pot.